Being an Uchiha
by College n Curls
Summary: Do you trust me? Do you love me? Sequel to Becoming an Uchiha
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** **: I don't own anything to do with the Naruto franchise. I don't even make any money off of this which is a drag. I could use some coins ya know! Wine isn't cheap (well it can be but it adds up lol)!**

 _ **Rating: This story is M. That means strong language, violence, and adult situations. If those things make you squeamish I don't think you should read my story. Back out now and go to the K+ sandbox. For the rest of you heathens, you may continue.**_

 **CCNote: Since today is the last day of school I had no classes to shuck and jive in front of. So I had tons of time to work on 'Being'. If you haven't read 'Becoming' then back out now and go read it, otherwise please enjoy and don't forget to leave a REVIEW! The more reviews this story gets the more new people will check it out. They also motivate me to keep writing! So REVIEW!**

 **Being Alone**

It was dark when Hinata found herself regaining conscious but was she really awake this time?

She licked her lips and grimaced at their chapped state. When was the last time she'd gotten out of bed long enough to take care of herself? How long had it been since…her heart ached at the train of thought that her mind was hurtling down. The calendar on the wall of her old bedroom was turned to August, two weeks worth of days had been crossed off by a hand that wasn't her own.

Fourteen days.

It had been fourteen days since the last time she'd spoken to him. She said that she would return to him soon. She'd tried to see him but every time she thought she'd been on the cusp of consciousness, a dreamlike trance would drag her back under.

She shouldn't be in the Hyuuga compound surrounded by eyes that kept watch over every breath she took. She should be in _their_ bed. She should be with _him_ but instead, she was by herself _._ At that moment, a small whine at her side reminded her that she was not alone, not completely. Turning her head to her right she saw their puppy curled up desperately against her side for warmth. Beige fur shivered in the darkness and whine at her insufficiency. The warmth she gave off was nowhere near as much as Sasuke as he was the one the puppy preferred the most.

Hinata reached out a hand to the shivering pup and gently stroked its fur. Sasuke must have brought the pup over. He had only tolerated its existence to please her. The fact that he'd parted with the puppy as well as her meant that whatever affection he'd had for her had been cast out. He hated her…

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice cracking from disuse. "I'm so sorry."

' _Uchihas don't apologize.'_

Uchihas didn't apologize but then again she wasn't one. She would never be. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and focused all of her efforts on not crying. She never thought that it would hurt this much. She'd failed plenty of times in her life. She'd failed missions before. She'd failed to receive acknowledgment from her father and clan for most of her life. However, this…this failure was different. She had failed _him._ She'd broken his trust and now he didn't want her back.

Void. Their marriage contract was void. As the head of the Uchiha, he had the power to do such a thing. He didn't want her and as a result, she was unable to protect him. Sitting up, Hinata buried her face in her knees and wrapped her arms around herself. Sasuke didn't have to like her. She didn't agree to the marriage because she believed that he might come to care for her. In fact, in the beginning, she hadn't thought the man to even be capable of such a thing. She didn't like him much either.

Yet, she had a duty to her family to honor the contract and she couldn't allow Hanabi to take her place. Sure he had helped to save Konoha but he was the most important person to Naruto. She had to help for his sake at least. Without her Sasuke would be subjected to the whims of the council, none of which ended with him still breathing. She'd agonized over her decision well after the ink had been dried. It was clear that he despised her with every fiber of his being. He pushed her away and said hurtful things. He threatened to kill her and yet every night still curled into her side as if she were the only thing keeping him anchored to reality. She was _supposed_ to protect him. She was _supposed_ to do her best. In the end though…her best wasn't good enough.

He hated her now, didn't he? He hated that she hadn't told him about the sealing but if she had would the outcome have been any different? Hinata sniffed and shook her head over her knees. No. Sasuke would have still voided the contract but at least the dojo wouldn't have caught on fire. The structure had been on the compound grounds since before her father had been born. It was a permanent fixture of her childhood. A countless number of Hyuuga had spent many days sweating and bleeding within its walls. It had been there before their time and would surely remain long after. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it had gone up in flames.

She hadn't seen the incident herself. She just remembered the blurry image of the scroll on fire in front of her. However, she'd heard the whispers in the hall from the branch members when they stopped in from of her room during her fleeting moments of lucidity. When her bedroom window was open she could smell the remnants of the fire, sharp and pungent in her nose. The smell still lingered two weeks later.

"Nee-chan." A soft voice called through the door of her room. "Are you up? Father says you should be. It's me."

Hinata sniffed but didn't reply to what she imagined was an attempt by her sister to make amends. She wasn't angry with Hanabi for telling Sasuke. She just didn't have anything to say. There was a soft sigh of defeat just outside her door before soft feet padded away down the hall. She'd be back in a few hours to try again. If her little sister was nothing else it was determined. Sighing, Hinata lifted her head up and stared at her bedroom door.

She'd lived in this room all her life but at the moment it felt wholly unfamiliar. Everything remained within its four walls just as she'd left it. The pictures of her teammates remained dust free and the clothing that she didn't take with her were still hanging in the closet. Old scrolls had been neatly arranged on her desk and appeared as if they hadn't been touched in months. The only thing she'd touched herself were the sheets she was currently lying in. They were her sheets but at the same time, they weren't.

This wasn't her room. This wasn't her home. She wasn't supposed to be here.

An odd feeling of adrenaline rushed through her veins and for the first time in weeks, she found the desire to leave. She shivered when her feet touched the cold hardwood floor but ignored the chill. Quickly she made her way over to her desk chair where her old lavender jacket hung over the back. She then grabbed the sling for the puppy and wrapped it around her neck before going back to the bed. The puppy whined a bit at being moved but otherwise went into its sling without much of a fight. It was getting a bit too big for its sling though. Hinata frowned at the thought. The puppy was growing so quickly.

When the time came she would have to return him to Kiba. At that point, she would really be alone. Shaking her head of the thought, she made her way to her bedroom door. Once she opened it she looked both ways to ensure that the coast was clear. Closing her eyes, she then activated her bloodline limit and scanned the area for the best route out without being seen. It was against the rules to use one's eyes outside of training but that the moment she couldn't be made to care. If anyone saw her up and about they would try to stop her. They would bring her to her father and he was the last person she wanted to speak to at the moment. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of her room and swiftly made her way through the compound.

 **….**

Darkness blanketed the villagers, only the pinpricks of light from the moon and stars was able to pierce it. She wasn't afraid of being out alone at this hour though. Her feet took her to the Uchiha District without much thought on her part. She should have walked this path two weeks ago. She should have made her way back to him. Hinata bit her bottom lip as she kept her eyes trained on peeling blue paint of the Uchiha District gate. Was he still angry with her? What would he say when he saw her? What could she say to him?

' _It was either me or you?'_

No.

' _I'm sorry?'_

That was even worse.

Frowning, Hinata picked up her pace to an almost jog up to the gates. Whatever she was going to say it wouldn't really matter. She had to say something. She had to explain-

Her breath caught in her throat as soon as she made it to the gates. Yellow tape was spiderwebbed a between the aged arches, impeding any who wished to go any further. The grounds beyond the tape was bare. All of the trees had been removed and the one house that had remained…their house…was gone. There was nothing left but dirt. Not even the crows had been allowed to remain. The gravel stung her knees as her legs gave out from under her. The reality of the situation set in and made her blood run cold.

Everything was gone.

 _Sasuke_ was gone and it was all her fault. Her eyes burned as hot tears welled up and freely streamed down her cheeks. Dark eyes flashed briefly in her mind. Stoic. Annoyed. Amused. Upset. Angry. Happy. She'd never get to see him like that again. Sasuke was gone. He was gone and she…she had failed.

 **….**

By the time she'd arrived back to the Hyuuga compound, the sun was already peeking out through the treetops. She didn't even bother to sneak past the guards who appeared alarmed to see her out of bed. She blindly dragged herself and her puppy into the house, ignoring the shocked looks of her clansmen. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be out of bed. Her father would know about her escapade in a matter of moments. He'd likely question her whereabouts and reprimand her for her reckless behavior but she didn't care. For the first time in years, she couldn't find the will to care.

All she wanted to do was get to the bed- her bed- and sleep. _Alone._ Hinata bit her bottom lip as tears welled up in her eyes, blurring the hallway before her. Despite the concerned looks of her clansmen, she pressed on. When she got to her room what awaited her was not silence but an irate little sister that sat on the edge of her bed.

"Where have you been?!" Hanabi demanded, pouncing off of the bed as if she were ready to strike.

Hinata ignored her in favor of removing the puppy from its sling. The little ball of fur whimpered at being removed from warmth but quickly found a spot to rest on her pillow. Hinata then removed the sling from around her neck and silently walked over to lay it on top of her desk.

"Quit ignoring me!" Hanabi hissed as she followed her back to the bed. "You went to go find him, didn't you? You've been asleep for weeks and the first thing you do is go running to look for him-"

"And whose fault is that?" Hinata snapped back.

"Father thought it was best-"

"Of course he did."

"You would have gone after him! You would have tried to stop them."

Hinata tensed and turned to look at her sister for the first time. The light from the sunrise spilled into the room and painted their usually pale skin pink and orange. Hanabi stared back at her with narrowed eyes and fists clenched angrily at her sides.

"You would have gotten hurt."

"Hanabi-"

"How could you let yourself get sealed? How could you?"

The elder Hyuuga cupped the younger's cheek and while her touch was gentle her eyes were anything but.

"Hanabi. Where is Sasuke?" she asked and the girl smacked her hand away.

"Father and the elders took care of him. He's the council's problem now not ours."

 **….**

She could hear the sounds of the festival from inside of her room. The drums and the horns were faint but still audible even at this distance. The Harvest festival had finally arrived to Konoha. The summer heat of the day had faded away, leaving a cool evening that drew everyone outside. She'd overheard the gossip of her clansmen. This was to be the largest harvest in nearly a decade. Not only was it a large haul but it was the first festival since the war. The energy around the compound had been heightened with anticipation for the celebration. Everyone, young and old, branch and main, were off tonight to enjoy the festivities. Everyone except her.

This night…hurt.

Sliding open the shoji door, Hinata made her way into the dressing room that had once held Sasuke. The broken mirror had been removed, in its place stood one that was nearly identical. The tatami that had been stained with droplets of his blood had also been replaced. One would have never known what had taken place in this room less than a month before. In the center of the room sat a low table upon which two large satin boxes sat. They'd been tied together carefully for easy transport and a scroll sat by their side.

Hinata pushed the scroll aside as she sat down in front of the table, it's message not meant for her eyes. It was a message of congratulations. It was a message meant for a woman that had been sealed and had succeeded in provided the assurances her clan needed to even give her such blessings. Instead, she untied the string that held the boxes together. She then lifted the lid of the top box and stared at the garment inside. There, carefully folded with gray tissue paper, sat her wedding kimono. White and pristine and absolutely perfect. When she lifted the material from its container the silk felt cool to the touch. Her eyes studied every stitch and search down the sleeve for traces of Sasuke's blood but of course, there was none to be had.

Frowning she placed her kimono to the side and opened the second box. Gray tissue paper was carefully encasing what Sasuke would have worn. A black monsuke greeted her, the Uchiha crest delicately stitched upon it. He would have looked handsome if he had the chance to wear it properly.

Would have….

Those two words hurt more than she could have imagined.

They would have been enjoying the festival tonight just like everyone else. He would have protested attending. She would have convinced him otherwise. She would have ignored the stares of others. He would have glared back. When the fireworks went off he would have kissed her. His kisses would have been insistent, his hands greedy. He would have wanted more than kisses. She would have given him more. She would have been happy.

Would have.

Would have.

Would have.

Their life would have been so much different. Hinata blinked as she noticed her tears fall onto the silk of Sasuke's kimono, ruining the silk. Thinking about the way things would have been helped no one. Crying wouldn't bring Sasuke back to her. There was nothing she could do to make this right. She'd failed. Sniffing she gathered up her own kimono and Sasuke's into her arms and dragged them out of the room. Down the dark hallway, she went until she reached a door that led outside to the Hyuuga gardens. There she was illuminated by the light of the full moon shining brightly in the night sky, it's glow casting a silver glint to everything it touched.

Outside of the sounds of distant drumming, the compound was silent. Still. Not even the wind disturbed the chimes that hung from the rafters of the covered walkways. Even after a month, the damaged dojo still stood in its same place. Ashen and crumbling. Everyone knew not to go near it until it was able to be repaired. Hinata wasn't sure when that would be nor did she care. There was very little that she cared about at this point. Grass crunched beneath her feet as she moved forward with a trail of silks behind her.

One step turned into two. Two into three. Until she finally reached the koi pond. The black water reflected the moon perfectly, it's surface unmoving. Slowly she sank down to the water's edge and her own reflection appeared. Her forehead unblemished. Pale, sunken in cheeks. Eyes red from crying. She looked just as pathetic as she felt on the inside. Tearing her eyes away from the sight, she looked to the silks that she'd brought with her. In only a few more weeks they would have worn these for the ceremony.

Would have…so many would haves.

Her fingers tightened around the silks as she brought them closer to the edge of the pond. Now that Sasuke was dea- … _gone_ …her clan would want to make another match for her. They'd already been generous enough to allow her a month to grieve. They'd want to make a pair that was either just as or more advantageous to being with the last Uchiha. It was doubtful that they could accomplish such a thing. There weren't many men who were as powerful as Sasuke had been. Their genes would not produce the kind of offspring a mix of the Sharingan and Byakugan would have. Her heart clenched at the thought and released her hold on the black and white silk, allowing the material to be dragged down into the pond.

Her children would have been Uchiha. That fact had filled her with a sense of dread before. She was little more than a broodmare, an experiment. Now…now she felt a loss as if something important had been ripped away from her. The world that she had created, the world that she'd had with Sasuke, had been destroyed. The walls of their one-story house had been toppled and their possessions disposed of. Their books, all of those nights spent reading and laughing and arguing were now gone. Everything was gone.

Sasuke was gone.

Swallowing thickly, she pushed the rest of the silk into the pond before standing up and returning to the house. Her clan would want her to marry sooner rather than later. It was her duty to marry but this time….this time she just couldn't do it.

She wouldn't.

 **…..**

The journey to the Hokage tower wasn't difficult. The few people that she passed were too drunk on their own merriment to notice her and how odd she looked. With the heavy pack on her back and puppy strapped to her chest, she looked like she was embarking on a long mission which should have raised suspicion. On a night like tonight, no one should be preparing to leave. Tonight was such a pleasant night too.

Pausing between a dango stall and an okonomiyaki stand, she watched the multitudes of people passing under the brightly colored lanterns. Men and women were dressed uniquely in yukatas shaded in more colors than she thought possible. Children weaved in an out of the crowds, underfoot but never in the way. Everyone was so happy. This was the peace that they'd fought so hard for. This was a peace that Neji would have loved to be a part of.

"Hey Sakura-chan let's play this one!" a familiar voice called out, his voice bright and distinct among all of the noise.

"Naruto you're just going to lose more money!" Sakura reprimanded but the man in question was undeterred.

"I have a good feeling about this one! I just know I can win!"

Hinata watched as the two came into view, taking a step back into the shadows so that they couldn't see her. The precaution wasn't necessary as the two were so engrossed with each other that they were in their own little world. They were a rather odd pair of pink and orange, a combination that should have been tacky but somehow worked on the two of them. Bright and happy. They were the personification of the summer that they were leaving behind.

"Don't whine to me when you lose!" Sakura huffed, her arms crossed under her chest.

"Just wish me luck!"

At first, it appeared as though Sakura wouldn't do it. She was right, Naruto really shouldn't participate in these carnival games as they were meant solely to make money and not to be won. If she was in Sakura's place would she have tried to stop him? Hinata felt the corners of her lips tug upwards as an easy answer came to mind. She wouldn't have stopped him. She wouldn't have said anything. She wouldn't have to because Sasuke knew better than to throw money down the drain. Shaking her head, Hinata watched with mild amusement as Sakura refused to wish Naruto the 'luck' he requested. Instead, she rolled up the sleeves of her yukata and marched over to the game booth that Naruto had been aiming to play.

" _I'll_ show you how it's done. Give me the money." She said. Naruto trailed after her with a wide, goofy grin on his face and his frog wallet at the ready.

Hinata didn't stay to watch the rest of their interaction. This alone was enough. She smiled as a warm feeling spread from the center of her chest out to her extremities. It was good to see Sakura back to her usual vibrant self. It was a side of herself she rarely showed when Sasuke was around. Instead, she tried to be less pushy, less loud, less _herself_.

' _It's better this way.'_ Hinata thought as she returned to her journey. _'Sakura-san is an important person to Naruto-kun too.'_

Silently she wished them both to remain just as they were tonight. Just as happy. Just as bright. The village needed more people like them. Against her chest, her puppy squirmed, disturbed by the loud noises of the festival. Soon the fireworks would be set off. She would prefer to be gone by then. Picking up her pace, she infused chakra in her feet and took to the roofs. It didn't take long for her to reach the Hokage tower which had all of the lights out save for one.

Instead of going through the building she easily scaled her way up to the only lit window and slid open its class. Kakashi sat inside his office, alone save for multiple towers of papers and scrolls to keep him company. He looked up at Hinata as soon as she slid open the window to his office, a look of mild surprise in his eyes.

"Hinata-san." He said, putting down the scroll he currently held in his hands. "What brings you here?"

"I-" Hinata started to say but she paused.

What she wanted to ask for was selfish. She was abandoning everyone. Abandoning her friends and family. Hanabi. Hanabi would hate her even more after she discovered that she was gone. However, no matter how everyone else felt she still couldn't remain. Not right now. Not when the heart she'd pieced back together had been shattered yet again irreparably.

"I….I wish to leave." Hinata said finally, her voice small but firm.

Kakashi stood up from his desk and approached her carefully as if she were capable of jumping from the window if he moved too quickly.

"You want to leave the village." He reiterated and Hinata nodded. "You will be a missing-nin."

Hinata bit her bottom lip and shook her head. She didn't want to be labeled a missing-nin. She wasn't a traitor but she couldn't stay either. If she stayed she would feel even worse than she did now. Every day she would be reminded of just how much she'd failed him. Every day she would get closer to the elders solidifying their plans for her to marry someone else…

"I was hoping that if I told you…you wouldn't mark me as missing." Hinata said sheepishly.

It was a fool's request, an innocent one but still a fool's. As Hokage, Kakashi had protocols to follow and she was no exception.

"Why do you want to leave?"

"I…I can't stay. Sasuke…" she whispered, choking on his name as it rolled off her tongue.

It hurt too much to say. Kakashi nodded his head in understanding before turning back to his desk and grabbing a scroll from the top of the stack. He then turned back to her and held it out.

"Tomorrow Akimichi Chouji will be heading from here to Kumo as an ambassador for the village.

He will need an escort to ensure that he gets there safely." Kakashi said and Hinata gave him a confused look. What did this have to do with her? Choji was more than capable of going the journey to Kumo alone. She opened her mouth to say as much but Kakashi shook his head.

"From there you should head to the Land of Snow. We have not had the shinobi to spare for a visit and their council finds to be a bit of a snub. A visit from one of the Leaf's most prominent clan's should soothe that over."

"Hokage-sama-"

"From there you will head to the Sand village and await my further instruction. Any questions?"

"Yes!" Hinata said breathlessly. "I don't understand. Why-"

"You are a kunoichi of the Leaf." He replied simply. "This is my mission for you. You will fulfill it. You will return."

Hinata gulped as she accepted the scroll from his still outstretched hand. It was simple enough. All she had to do was be an unnecessary escort and show her face in a small village. Any chunin worth their salt could handle the mission easily. She gave Kakashi a wary look but kept a firm grip on the scroll. His eyes were unreadable but it was clear what his intentions were. He wanted her to return without the shame of being a missing-nin. What he didn't understand was that shame had already wormed its way into the crevice where her heart used to reside.

"Chouji will depart from the main gates at sunrise." Kakashi said upon her acceptance of the scroll. "Show that scroll to him and the guards and then be on your way. I expect regular updates while you are away."

Hinata nodded and turned to leave. It appeared as though her departure would have to wait a few more hours. Just as she was about to leave, she turned back to Kakashi. It would hurt to know but Kakashi would be the only person with the answers. Clearly, Sakura and Naruto didn't know what had become of Sasuke. Perhaps it was a good sign that they didn't. Perhaps he was still alive.

"Hokage-sama…Sasuke…" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What-what happened to him?"

 **To be continued…Being Aware**


	2. Being Aware

**CCNote:** **WOW! I was not expecting so many people to be excited about this story but I'm totally digging it. I'm especially happy that an update makes so many people happy!**

 **Two points of clarification:**

 **1) Hinata is NOT sealed. When** **Hanabi says "How could you let yourself get sealed?" she's being incredulous and angry that Hinata** **would ever put herself in that situation in the first place. Remember in Becoming Hanabi thought it especially stupid for Hinata to suffer in silence for a traitor. The fact that Hinata would offer herself up like that without any sense of self-preservation made her reasonably angry.**

 **2) THIS IS NOT my last long-form story. That one won't be out until this** **one is finished.**

 **In other news now that school is out I'm heading to Thailand tomorrow for a much-needed** **vacation. If you wanna see some fun Snaps just PM me.** **Ignore all glaring mistakes, I wanted to get this out before I left. ANYWAY! Please enjoy and don't forget to leave a REVIEW!**

 **Being Aware**

Naruto grinned broadly as he adjusted his backpack and tried not to walk too fast. He didn't want to look _too_ eager in front of his companions. It was difficult to hold in his excitement though. He'd only been away for a couple of weeks but it already felt like an eternity. He couldn't wait to get back and bother Sasuke who was probably going stir crazy without him around. Plus Hinata had likely made something delicious for lunch and it would be a far cry from the chewy jerky and dried vegetables he'd had to subsist on with his comrades.

"I can almost taste the curry!" Lee said excitedly as he bounded on ahead. "Sweet sweet curry!"

"That's what he wants to eat first?" Kiba snorted. "He's going to be shitting for days."

"Gross!" Naruto laughed and punched Kiba lightly on his shoulder.

"What it's true! So whats the first thing you're going to do?"

Naruto placed his hands behind his head and stared up at the orange and pink sky as they walked. What was he going to do first? Sure he could visit Sasuke and Hinata but there was something else that had occupied most of his thoughts during the mission. Well, not some _thing_ but some _one._

"You're smiling." Kiba probed. Naruto turned his face away so that the brunette couldn't point out any more of his features. "C'mon spill! What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on!"

"Your face says otherwise."

"My face is my face."

"It's not like you to be secretive Naruto. I'm hurt."

Naruto frowned and tried to pick up his pace but Kiba was having none of his avoidance.

"Is it about a girl! I bet it's about a girl!"

The blonde chocked on his own spit trying to protest his companion's surprisingly accurate accusations.

"Ha! I fucking knew it! You're going to see a girl!"

"Girl?" Lee said, doubling back to fall into step with the other two. "What's this about a girl."

"There's no girl-"

"Naruto here's going to visit a girl." Kiba said clapping the blonde on the back. Lee stared at him wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape.

"You have a girlfriend?"

Naruto shook Kiba's arm off of him and brushed away imaginary dirt. Kiba was correct. He was excited to see a girl, more specifically Sakura. She wasn't his girlfriend though. She'd made her feelings about Sasuke exponentially clear even if he was going to be married soon. She'd been handling the situation a lot better when he'd left her for his most recent mission but feelings like that didn't just disappear. He knew that from personal experience.

"She's not my girlfriend." He grumbled but his denial only made Kiba's mischievous grin widen.

"So I was right you _are_ going to see a girl."

"This is amazing Naruto-kun! The warm summer air, the fireworks, if this girl isn't your girlfriend yet she will be after the festival!" Lee lamented.

"Festival?" Naruto said, pausing in the middle of the road.

"Don't tell me you forgot?" Kiba laughed.

"The Harvest Festival starts tonight! This is a time when all of the elements of youth will collide to provide the most potent experience of life. You can't just forget about something like this!"

"Sorry?"

Kiba rolled his eyes and adjusted his pack so he could pick up his pace.

"C'mon Lee you can tell lover boy here all your tips on the way back."

"Yosh! Okay so first you need to buy flowers!"

 **….**

Naruto gulped as he stood in front of the nurse's station in the hospital lobby. He tried to ignore the stares that he got. He'd been stared at for various reasons for as long as he could remember but he hadn't felt this anxious in a long time. Clutching the bouquet of white daisies that he'd purchased at Lee's -and subsequently Ino's- insistence, he nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He should have never listened to Lee about asking his 'girl' at the festival.

Sakura was not his girl. She was a girl. She was his friend. She was not his girlfriend. For her to be his girlfriend they would have to do couples stuff like go on dates. Anytime he'd asked Sakura out on a date before she'd either dismiss it as a joke or was too hung up on Sasuke to give him the time of day. This time could be more of the same.

"Naruto?" a familiar voice called out, snapping him from his worrisome thoughts "What are you doing here?"

Sakura approached him cautiously, green eyes darting between the bouquet that he held and the audience of nurses and patients. Naruto coughed awkwardly into his free hand and tried to remember all of the things that Lee and Ino had instructed him to say but it all ended up a tangled mess on his tongue that refused to move.

"Naruto?"

"Um yeah, I just got back and I thought I'd stop by!" The blonde awkwardly blurted out. Sakura raised a skeptical eyebrow and pointed at the bouquet he held.

"With flowers?"

Suddenly the bouquet felt like he was trying too hard. By the suspicious look on her face it was clear that she didn't want them. Thinking fast, Naruto looked for a way to dispose of them. Coming up empty, he hid the flowers behind his back and chuckled awkwardly.

"If you don't need anything, I have to get back to work-"

"No! I mean wait!" he said quickly and Sakura stopped her retreat. "There's a festival tonight."

"Yea. What about it?"

"Are you going?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders before pushing an errant lock of pink hair behind her ear.

"I wasn't planning on it. Are you going?"

"Yes. It's going to be fun, at least that's what I hear but I don't know for sure. There hasn't been a festival for a long time. Like forever. I would be good to go to. Ya know to try all the food. I hear there are going to be dishes for every village and-"

"Naruto." Sakura snapped, interrupting him mid-rant. The blonde took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" He asked.

"Like a date?"

"No- I mean yes."

Sakura's eyes widened at his request and suddenly both parties became highly aware of the fact that they were not alone. At the nurses' station, medics and trainees alike pretended to busy but there were way too many of them at the desk to be of any sort of help. Naruto watched as his former teammate glared at them which only made them pretend to look busier.

"But like as friends, if you want." Naruto said, blocking their audience from Sakura's view with his own body.

"As…friends?"

Naruto nodded and held his breath as he waited for her inevitable rejection. However, the outcome he expected never came. Instead, a small smile appeared on Sakura's face and she gave him a curt nod.

"Tonight is the first night in a while that I don't have to work the night shift." She said and Naruto raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Sooo?"

Sakura smirked at him before reaching behind his back to grab the bouquet out of his hands. She then continued walking down the hall in the opposite direction, pointedly ignoring how her coworkers stared at her slack-jawed.

"Sakura-chan is that a yes?" Naruto called out after her but she only waved at him and rounded the corner. "I'm going to take that as a yes!"

 **….**

He shouldn't be this nervous. He hadn't been nervous in any of his previous matches. Scared shitless at times but definitely not nervous. Naruto gulped and rubbed his sweaty palms on the front of his hakama, luckily the black material would hide the moisture but would be a bitch to clean. The shop attendants had reminded him to be careful not to get any liquids on it. From syrup to sweat he was supposed to be _extra_ careful not to dirty the silk or there would be hell to pay.

"Too late for that." The Uzumaki grumbled under his breath as he wiped his hands again.

Blue eyes scanned the crowd of people that merrily walked down the wide main street of the village. The crashing of cymbals. The banging of drums. The excited voices of people from Konoha and abroad. They all melded together into one noisy symphony that made it difficult to hear one's own thought- not that he minded of course. It all provided a welcome distraction from the waiting game. Plus it was rather fun to see all of the new faces marvel at the different booths and attractions that the Harvest Festival had to offer. Bright red lanterns, currently unlit, were strung up along the street. When night fell over the street it was sure to be a remarkable sight.

While Naruto knew that he would be a far superior Hokage, he had to hand it to Kakashi. The place looked great. Over the past six months, the rebuilding effort had been underway at a full force. People that had fled because of the war were returning with families in tow and new faces were cropping up every day. Soon this would no longer be the Konoha of his childhood but one of the future. It was a future that he couldn't help but feel giddy to see.

"Naruto!" a voice shouted at him.

Naruto blinked, breaking from his thoughts and turned to see the very thing that had made him so nervous. Sakura stood before him, green eyes curiously staring at him expectantly with an odd quirk of her lips. Lips that, unless he was imagining it, were pinker than they normally were. In fact, Sakura's entire face was different. It was still her face of course but there was something different about it, something softer and more…feminine? Pink locks were pulled back away from her face in a small bun and ornamented with a small, cherry blossom shaped hair clips. She wore a soft pink yukata with a bright yellow obi and although the look was simple, she took his breath away.

"Naruto?" she said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Your face is turning red. Are you alright right?"

The man swallowed and tried to think of something to say that didn't sound dumb. Sakura's hand stopped waving in front of his face as she stretched a bit further and pressed her hand against his forehead. She then placed her other hand against her own temple for reference and frowned.

"You don't seem to be running a fever…" she said pensively as she drew back her hand. "Did you eat anything weird before you got back to the village? You shouldn't be at a festival if you feel sick-"

"I'm not sick!" he blurted out.

If Sakura thought he was sick, which he _wasn't_ , she would back out of their 'not a date-date' and that was the last thing he wanted. She didn't look too convinced by his outburst either. Scratching the back of his head, he swallowed what little of his pride he had left and looked away from her.

"Youlookreallypretty." He mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Youlookreallypretty."

"Naruto we should go back-"

"I said you look really pretty!"

He hadn't meant to shout. By the look on her face, Sakura hadn't expected him to either but she didn't look upset with him. On the contrary, it was her turn to now glow a vibrant shade of red.

"Hey look it's Naruto!"

"Guys look!"

Both Leaf shinobi broke out of their own little world of self-contained embarrassment to see a small hoard of boys running their way. The children clamored around him excitedly in a way that only a festival and copious amounts of sugar could provide.

"Look at this I caught a fish!" one of the boys said, his brown curls sticking out in all directions. He jerked his thumb in the direction of another scruffy looking blonde standing next to him. "Shin said it was impossible but I did it! Look at it."

"Don't shake the bag Kei." Shin admonished.

"I'm not shaking the bag!"

"Yes, you are!"

"You're gonna kill it you idiot!"

"Nuh un!"

"Yes hun!"

Naruto shook his head at their antics and crouched down to get a better look at the fish that the boy had won. The bright orange goldfish looked petrified in its plastic baggy that was indeed being shaken by its new owner.

"Hey Kei can I get a closer look?" he asked and the curly haired brunette blinked, momentarily ceasing his argument with Shin.

"Yea sure!" Kei said and held the bag out to him. "Pretty cool right?"

Naruto took the bag with both hands and cocked his head to the side.

"It's alright I guess but it looks pretty cramped in this bag ya know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you can't really see how cool it is all stuffed in a bag."

"I told you he'd think it was dumb." Shin grumbled and Kei's face fell. Naruto shook his head at the boys and returned the goldfish to its now despondent owner.

"It's not dumb. It pretty cool but it can't swim in a bag. You can only see how cool it is if you can see it swim."

"There's a river not far from here!" one of the boys that had crowded near Shin and Kei shouted. "If we get there before sunset we can watch it swim!"

"That sounds like a great idea." Naruto encouraged, happy that the fish wouldn't die as soon a death as it would have.

Kei's face instantly lit up again at the prospect of watching his fish swim in an actual river. Even Shin seemed curious about seeing such a thing although he did his best to look uninterested. Naruto stood up to his full height and placed his hands on his hips.

"Wanna come to watch it?" Kei asked, brown eyes staring up at the Uzumaki expectantly. Shin elbowed him in the side and snorted.

"He's with his girlfriend you dummy. He doesn't wanna watch a fish."

For the first time since the horde of boys had arrived, Naruto finally looked to his side where Sakura was standing. He opened his mouth to deny Shin's claims but the other boys were already elbowing each other and whispering furiously. With mischievous, gossip spreading grins on their faces they all backed away to go forward with their plan of setting the goldfish free.

"Bye Naruto! See you at school!"

"Have fun with your girlfriend!"

The blonde blanched at the boldness of the boys. He was going to have to turn into a tyrant like Anko if he was ever going to get any semblance of respect out of them. Beside him, Sakura laughed and waved back to the boys.

"Don't do that you'll just egg them on." Naruto grumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

By Monday the entire academy would believe that he finally had a girlfriend. When Friday rolled around he would likely have a wife and two kids.

"You're pretty good with kids." She said. Naruto stared at her with wide eyes, genuinely surprised to hear a compliment from her.

"Really?"

"Yea. It's probably because you're just an oversized kid yourself!"

"Hey!"

He wasn't a kid. He'd seen more than most people had at his age and he liked to think he'd at least grown a little bit. Sakura felt no remorse for bruising his pride though. That smile she had never left her face as stepped up to him and grabbed his hand. As soon as her fingers intertwined with his own, all slights were forgiven and replaced by a warmth that radiated in the pit of his stomach.

"Let's go find something to eat, I'm hungry." She said.

At the mere mention of food a switch went off in the Uzumaki's brain and he tightened his grip on her hand to pull her along. If it was food Sakura wanted on this not a date-date then it was food she was going to get!

 **….**

Perhaps it was the headiness of the air that caused it, thick with the scent of ash and fried foods.

Perhaps it was because this was the first night she'd had off in over a month.

Everything she ate tasted better than normal and things she usually didn't find funny all of a sudden were. When he let go of her hand, even for a second just to grab something, she noticed the loss sharply. His touch was gone for long though before his hands sought hers out once more. Even now as they watched the grand finale of the fireworks, their fingers still intertwined. Sakura smiled when she felt him squeeze her hand and cheer when a particularly vibrant set of explosives went off.

'He really is just a big kid.' Sakura thought as he turned his head to flash her a smile.

His entire face was lit up by the reds and yellows that exploded in the night sky. Her eyes studied the way shadows danced across his skin and the lopsidedness of his grin. The baby fat that used to stubbornly stick to his cheeks had long ago disappeared, giving way to a more masculine jawline. Had he always been this handsome? Blue eyes stared back into her own. Just as curious. Just as anxious. It felt like an eternity had passed between them as the fireworks continued to go off in the night sky, the cheers of the crowd drowned out by the thrumming of her own heart. Slowly but surely his face came closer to her own. A hand heavily calloused by countless battles cupped the back of her head to gently bring her closer and she stood on her toes for leverage.

Perhaps it was because they'd spent a good chunk of their money on games, coming up empty handed but walking away happier than before.

Perhaps it was because for the first time in her young life she actually felt her age.

Naruto had kissed her once before when things were less complicated than they were now. At that time his lips had been hesitant then when they met hers. She had been nervous as well. Confused and also guilty. Those negative feelings had tainted the kiss although she still thought about it from time to time when she allowed her mind to wander. This time when their lips met she allowed the warmth that he provided to freely overtake her senses entirely.

She relished the way his lips moved over her own and the way it made her fingertips tingle. She let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and adding a new layer of insistence. Naruto smiled against her lips and happily obliged, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her flush against his front.

Perhaps it was because she missed the peace that he provided.

Perhaps it was because out of everyone in her life he'd never left her side.

Perhaps…it was just because she wanted to.

 **…..**

Sakura groaned as light poured into the small window of the bedroom and tried to bury her face in her pillow to ignore it. Usually, she closed the curtains so that she didn't have this problem. There was also another issue to contend with. Her pillow was not as soft as it usually was, in fact, it was downright hard…and breathing.

'Breathing?' Sakura thought, alarm bells ringing off in her head as her eyes immediately popped open.

What greeted her was a sight that was not unfamiliar. She knew Naruto's apartment better than her own room in her parents' house at this point. Since she'd started crashing here on a regular basis the small space was a lot cleaner. Empty ramen cups and water bottles no longer found a home on random perches. Scrolls were placed in an orderly fashion on a desk she was sure Naruto had never sat at and clothing tended to make it into the closet or the laundry.

Except…this time their clothing from the night before was strewn on the floor. Pink and orange silk pooled haphazardly together, instantly reminding her of the events that had transpired last night. The awkward touches. The heavy breathing. The kisses so warm that it felt as if her skin were on fire. Sakura blushed at the memory. It was well worth the dull ache of discomfort between her legs. She bit her bottom lip and began to sit up. This, whatever this _was_ , complicated things.

"Mmmm." Naruto groaned when she moved away.

Tired blue eyes peeked at her, a rather mischievous grin gracing his lips. She didn't quite get what he was smiling about until she followed where his eyes were trained and immediately pulled the sheets over her bare chest.

"Pervert." She hissed and Naruto chuckled.

"Morning."

Sakura bit her bottom lip and turned away from his still probing gaze. It didn't matter whether she covered up or not at this point. He'd already seen more of her than she'd ever shown to anyone else…parts she'd expected to show only one person.

"You're upset." Naruto said but Sakura shook her head.

She wasn't upset. Last night had been…she couldn't quite put into words how she felt about last but she wasn't upset. Maybe confused and anxious but certainly not upset. She just needed time to think and she couldn't do that sitting naked in bed with the man that made her so confused in the first place.

Gingerly she slid out from under the sheets that covered her and off the bed, wincing slightly when her feet touched the floor. She stepped over their tangled kimonos and took the liberty of pilfering a shirt from Naruto's dresser. She could feel his eyes watching her as she moved about the room but she pointedly didn't return his gaze.

"You _are_ upset." He said once she pulled a black t-shirt over her head. She then grabbed a pair of his old sweat pants and put them on as well. The bed squeaked as he sat upright with his legs hanging over the edge of the bed. " If you regret last night-"

"I don't regret it!" Sakura snapped.

She didn't regret it. There were far worse men that she could have slept with last night. Those men, however, didn't come with the baggage that was between herself and Naruto. She could have easily slipped out of their beds and they would have thought nothing of it. They wouldn't have held her through the night or whispered affections in her ears. She didn't regret what happened but maybe…maybe he did.

"Do you?" she asked and Naruto looked at her curiously.

"Do I what?"

"Regret last night!"

"No why would you think that?"

"Because you asked me!"

"Well, you're acting like you do."

"I don't!"

"Well, I don't either!"

"Why are you yelling?"

"Because you're yelling!"

"I'm yelling because you're yelling!"

Sakura paused to catch her breath and Naruto did the same. This was ridiculous. Why were they even yelling at each other? Naruto's thoughts seemed to run along a different track that her own were because his lips upturned into a mischievous smirk.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked cautiously as he stood up from the bed. When the sheet fell from his waist she immediately turned around to keep herself from looking.

"So you liked it?"

"Oh my god Naruto put some pants on!"

Before the nude man in question could protest her request, she marched out of the room. She just needed space to think and she couldn't do that with him naked!

 _Knock Knock Knock_

The frantic pounding on the door kept the kunoichi from her goal of trying to get a moment of peace. Sakura paused for a second in the middle of the living room and eyed the door curiously. Who in the world could want Naruto so early in the morning? He didn't get many visitors at normal hours.

 _Knock Knock Knock_

"Open up! Please!"

Sakura nearly jumped at the sound of the muffled voice on the other side of the door. She wasn't sure who it could be but whoever they were they sounded desperate. Pushing all thoughts of Naruto and his pantless situation aside, she crossed the small living room and opened the door. Once open, she was surprised to find a rather disheveled looking Hanabi on the other side with her fist raised to knock again.

"Hanabi?"

"Is she here?" the teen asked breathlessly, pushing past Sakura to get into the house. "Please tell me she came here."

"Who came here?" Sakura asked, an unnecessary feeling of jealousy burgeoning in her chest.

As far as she knew no other women would have a reason to come to Naruto's apartment. She was here enough that the neighbors were already gossiping, she would have surely heard if another woman had been paying Naruto visits. Plus he'd been on a mission for the last three weeks so there couldn't have been anyone coming here to look for him. Sakura shook her head at her own distracting thoughts and turned her attention back to Hanabi who had now activated her Byakugan to scan the apartment.

"What are you doing?!" Sakura hissed, immediately reminded of the fact that Hyuugas could see through walls and there was likely a still naked Uzumaki in the bedroom. Hanabi deactivated her eyes and cursed under her breath.

"Dammit, she's not here."

"Again, _who's_ not here?"

Hanabi ran a frustrated hand through her dark brown hair, the aura around her was much too heavy for a girl her age.

"My sister." She said finally. "Did you see her at all last night or maybe even this morning?"

"Hinata?" Sakura said pensively before shaking her head.

She hadn't seen Hinata at the festival at all. Now that she thought about it she'd expected to see Hinata and Sasuke at the festival but they didn't make an appearance. The two tended to keep to the Uchiha District anyway so it wasn't all that odd that they _didn't_ attend the event but by the hopeless way Hanabi looked at her she could tell that something was wrong. The girl looked like she might faint on her feet if the wind was too strong.

Sakura placed a ginger hand on the girl's shoulder and led her over to Naruto's lumpy green couch. It wasn't the most comfortable piece of furniture but it would have to do for right now. She then directed Hanabi to sit which she did reluctantly just as Naruto exited the bedroom.

"I put on pants- oh hey Hanabi!" Naruto said, throwing Sakura confused looks in between eyeing their new visitor. "What brings you here?"

Hanabi immediately sprang up from the couch as soon as she heard Naruto's voice and raced over to him.

"Please, you have to help me before they label her a missing-nin!"

"Whoa, what?" Naruto asked incredulously and Sakura walked over to the pair with a more level approach.

"Hanabi please tell us what is going on?"

Hanabi turned back to her with red-rimmed eyes that she rubbed with the heel of her hand.

"Hinata-nee-chan…she…she's gone."

 **….**

"Do you think you can handle him?" Kakashi asked the masked man that stood by his side.

"In the likely event that he's decided he's had enough, no."

Kakashi smirked and turned to look out of his office window at the bustling village below. The stalls from the night before were being torn down, the merriment and memories that they'd wrought going with them. The entire atmosphere of the village was lighter after the festival. It was a testament to the peace that they'd fought so hard for that no incidents had occurred. No one was hurt. No plots, no backstabbings.

It was just a simple festival but it heralded so much more. It signaled that things had the potential to change for the better. It seemed impossible in his youth that there could be much more to life than killing or being killed. When he was within the ranks of the Anbu it was a constant fact of life. Kill or be killed. Those were the only options. However, his mind had changed a lot since his youth and just like his perspective the village had changed as well. Everything and everyone had the capacity to change. Even people as stubborn as the last Uchiha.

"Were you able to persuade the others?" Kakashi asked and his companion nodded.

"Persuasion was not necessary. The word of a Hokage is final."

"Unwavering as always, regardless of who is in power."

The Hokage scratched his chin over his mask and watched as two distinctive figures darted through the aftermath of the festival towards the tower. Orange and pink sprinted like two bats out of hell, clearly determined and probably pissed. Kakashi closed his eyes and prepared himself for an ensuing headache. Beside him, the masked figure chuckled and turned away from the window.

"I'll take my leave now before those two get here." He said.

Kakashi nodded and looked away from his oncoming destruction. If Naruto and Sakura caught wind of Yamato's presence it wouldn't take long for them to put together the pieces. However, no matter how loud the two would inevitably get, handling them would be far easier than dealing with Hinata. It had only been a few hours since she'd requested to leave with eyes puffy and red from crying. The fact that he was unable to tell her what had become of her now ex-fiance did nothing to help her utterly crushed aura.

If anything, it only made her worse.

Glancing up from the village below, he turned his eyes to the sky and noted absently that the Hyuuga and Akimichi should be a considerable distance from the village by now. Hopefully when she returned it would be with a clearer head and a heart that was slightly less broken.

"Hey, you can't go in there!"

"Out of my way!"

The door to his office slammed open on its hinges and two irate shinobi stormed into his office.

"Kakashi-sensei! What the hell is going on?!"

 **….**

"I'm so glad that you're coming with me Hinata-san! Now I have someone to keep me company! Have you ever been to Cloud territory?"

Hinata shook her head at her exuberant companion who looked at her like she'd sprouted a third eye. Pumping his fist in the air he pressed forward on their steady trek away from Konoha.

"I'm going to show you all the best dango shops along the way. Also curry. My mouth is watering just thinking about it."

As it had all day, his ramblings faded to the back of her mind and more pressing matters rose to the forefront. Matters that she'd rather not think about but was forced to anyway. It wasn't that Choji wasn't a good companion. In many ways, he reminded her of Naruto and Kiba. Loyal, loud, trustworthy. He was an excellent shinobi and an even better friend but right now she just wanted to be alone. Well, not alone…just not with him.

"You also gotta try the cake. Ooooooh man! There's a really great cake shop right on the border. It's absolutely amazing!"

Hinata sighed and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. It was the only way to keep from crying. If she were still in the compound she was positive that she'd be reduced to little more than a puddle of tears. She'd have to return of course…her honor depended on it. Her clan depended on her returning. Hanabi depended on her returning. Yet…she didn't want to go back.

"Oh and don't get me started about the barbeque! There is nothing like Cloud barbeque! You're going to love it!"

Leaving didn't make her feel any better but the prospect of staying was worse. The reality of having to marry someone else was unthinkable. As strange as the entire situation had started, she'd actually started to look forward to marrying Sasuke.

'Sasuke.' She thought, her throat tightening uncomfortably as she did so.

Kakashi hadn't told her anything about his situation. Whether he was alive or dead. A free man or rotting in a Konoha cell. He'd said absolutely nothing except to say that he'd been informed by her father of the nullification of their marriage contract. Hinata sniffed as her eyes began to burn with the increasingly familiar sensation of tears. She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her right hand and gently stroked her unnamed pup in its sling while it slept.

"Hinata-san," Choji said curiously, pausing his walk to stare at her. "Are you okay?'

The woman in question forced a smile on her face and nodded.

"Of course."

 _ **To be continued….**_ **Being Yourself**


	3. Hiatus

**CCNote:** **Hey ya'll! Thanks so much for the support of this story. I wanted to write this note to tell you that Being will be placed on hiatus. It's NOT abandoned so please stop messaging me that. The story that was meant to be my last keeps bothering me and every time I try to write Being the storyline for 'For the Love of You' comes out. 'For the Love of You' is a historical AU full of war and betrayal and of course some lemons. So if you want something to read weekly go check that out. In the meantime, I'll pick 'Being' up again as soon as I can. Thank you again for reading my work! Until next time!**


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